1 A SONG OF THE ASCENTS. Often they distressed me from my youth, || Pray, let Israel say: 2 Often they distressed me from my youth, || Yet they have not prevailed over me. 3 Plowers have plowed over my back, || They have made their furrows long. 4 YHWH [is] righteous, || He has cut apart cords of the wicked. 5 All hating Zion [are] confounded and turn backward. 6 They are as grass of the roofs, || That withers before it was drawn out, 7 That has not filled the hand of a reaper, || And the bosom of a binder of sheaves. 8 And the passers by have not said, "The blessing of YHWH [is] on you, || We blessed you in the Name of YHWH!"